First attempt 'In Costume' - Biata

M

MathGwyson

Artisan
So our chapter is having a 'work day' to make props and such for the event this month, and afterwords we are going to the theatre to watch Snow White and the Huntsman, so the chapter owner decided to award goblin point if we went to the theatre in costume.

I also figured this would be a good day to do a 'test run' of my outfit so I can work out some of the problems.

I didn't realise until Thursday that I screwed up when I purchased my cloth and only got 1/2 the length I needed (I was SURE I doubled my height measurement, but I must have had a brain fart) so I didn't get to make the robes yet ;.;

Hair - Mehron Hair White and Hair Silver. I used way more than I intended to (was going for 'greying' not 'completely grey'. I wanted the hair to be more silver than white, and so I thought adding the silver after would give me that effect. Unfortunately, since I had already added so much white, I had to use almost as much silver. Lesson learned - start with the silver and then add the white after as a touch up.

Feathers - These are staying on MUCH better than I was afraid they would, and they are quite comfortable (Been wearing them for an hour now). I realised after I applied them that they really should cover the eyebrow (without being glued on to the eyebrow)- that's an 'oops' I'll have to fix for next time. Also I tried to add some hair-white to the tips AFTER I put them on, and did not get the effect I wanted. Next time I'll remember to try to do this BEFORE, and perhaps water it down so they don't look so obviously painted on (although I do want this to be WHITE, and not a grey mixture of the black base and white tips... so IDK)

I tried adding 2-4 feathers to my hair with hair clips, but could not get them to go on in such a way as that the clip was hidden but the feather was still showing and pointing in a direction that made sense and looked aestheticly pleasing. Any suggestions?

Makeup - I cannot find the eyeliner I bought for this! It's mentioned in the race packet as a requirement. That said, none of the 4 biata pictures in and on the rulebook seem to have it, and it seems kinda weird. I'm guessing this is coming in from their Stone Elf heritage or something? (There's one picture of a stone elf that has definite black eyeliner on in the 'Mental Abilities' section.)

Next month if I continue playing I intend to add face makeup to give myself a slight aging - I got a brief explanation on how to and a brochure from the local costume store that sold me the hair white. Should be snazzy!

Jacket - as was discussed in another thread on this board, I will take out the zipper and snaps on the pockets and replace them with toggle buttons. Also the 'seams' for the sleeves and sides will have grommet holes punched in and then 'laced up' with cord that looks like it could have been leather. *possibly* adding studs later, have not yet decided.

other costume/clothing Still trying to find a hat/cap I like that fits and is period. Leather would be nice for the armour/waylay protection but not terribly crucial for what I'm going for. Barring this, I found a 'how to' online for a hooded cape I can try.

The robe, as mentioned above, was not made because I measured the cloth wrong and now have to get new cloth :tears: It was supposed to be a green robe with a silver/grey trim, open in the front. I have a nice leather belt that looks 'braided' to keep it snug, and some fun tassels (although tassels don't really make sense with a leather belt, but they look cool ^_^)

Oh and the funky glasses I got at the costume shop (I actually picked those out before making my avatar in my sig - I was surprised that site had glasses that looked like the ones I bought!) I am nearsighted, and my vision is reduced when wearing these instead of my modern/real ones, but not so much that I think it'll be a safety hazard. I'm going to look into getting perscription lenses for these if I decide I like larping.

That about sums it up! Any thoughts/suggestions?
 

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MathGwyson said:
Makeup - I cannot find the eyeliner I bought for this! It's mentioned in the race packet as a requirement. That said, none of the 4 biata pictures in and on the rulebook seem to have it, and it seems kinda weird. I'm guessing this is coming in from their Stone Elf heritage or something? (There's one picture of a stone elf that has definite black eyeliner on in the 'Mental Abilities' section.)
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Eyeliner's a new one to me for Biata. I played a Biata for 5 years and never saw eyeliner as a racial requirement. Never wore it either. I'll dig up some of the later pictures I had taken in that character's life, but that'd be my mug above Biata in the race section of the rulebook (early life of character... and play!)
 
*shrugs* I don't know, but I didn't make it up. This paragraph appears in the racial packet (right after the 'feathery eyebrows' and just before the discussion about the claw;
Use liquid eyeliner around your eyelids (Waterproof is best).
Always bring eye wash with you, just in case of an emergency.
Spirit gum or makeup in an eye is no fun
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I took my new player orientation yesterday and he chapter owner mentioned that some makeup is an indicator in certain racial abilities, like how High Ogres (or whatever they are called, I didn't look much at those races and don't retain information when I skim) have extreme make up reqs because of their racial assasinate. I figured maybe the fact that Stone Elves and Biata both have the mental abilities, maybe the eyeliner was an indicator of that (similar to how Psionic Valashtar characters in Arkanis - which is a D&D setting - have pure white eyes)


After wearing that costume all day yesterday - I can tell you that I will NOT be putting makeup in my hair! My hair is naturally very thick and the extra material in the make-up made my hair poof WAY out, and I didn't even notice until I got home and looked in the mirror. When I tried to comb it the make up it was sticky and hard to comb, and my hair just felt very tacky/waxy. Was not fun. Also very few people noticed I was wearing makeup (but then, most of the people there that I knew hadn't seen me in years, so maybe they thought my hair was normally grey - in which case it's an 'objective achieved' as far as costuming goes). Between the half-hour I spent getting it done (and I did it in a hurry) and the extra effort to wash out - it's not worth the time spent dealing with it for the minor effect it gives me.

Feathers - even though I said they stuck well and didn't feel heavy - after wearing it all day that changed a little. After perspiring during combat training in that leather coat and hot sun, my right eyebrow started drooping (and I didn't bring more spirit gum to fix it, but there was enough on it that with a little pressure stayed on again). However in the afternoon after the combat training when I was going to the theatre to meet up with some of the others for an 'in costume' attendance, a wind had picked up, and I thought the loose one was going to come off. And then the wind got VERY strong, and I was walking town the street holding my feathers in place until I got to the theatre, so the spirit gum doesn't seem to stand up to the wind (but I could probably use more next time and have some handy to re-apply it easily)
 
I've never seen a biata wear eyeliner. It's not mentioned at all in the one packet I've seen. Unless your packet is divided into "National Packet" and "Local Packet," I'd guess anything that's not in the rulebook is probably local.

It's one of those facts of life: if you play a full-makeup race (orc, ogre, stone elf, dark elf) your makeup will run, at some point. Either from rain or sweat, it will be in your eyes and/or on your costuming. Other prosthetics, like ear tips, feathers, tusks, sideburns or beards, will eventually have some sort of technical malfunction. Straps will lose elasticity, spirit gum or liquid latex will be sweated away or get ripped off, tusks will break.

You can use antiperspirants (and they do make them for the body, rather than the underarms) under glued on prosthetics, but sweat rolls down the forehead. Most costume shops sell small bottles of spirit gum that can go in a pouch (inside a small plastic bag! bottles can leak and you don't want that all over your gear!). I've also never seen anyone faulted, and can't imagine faulting anyone, if a problem happens and it's corrected ASAP. No one should be kicking you out of a fight because a feather or two disappear, or a tusk snaps off. If you stay with an eyebrow/ear tip/sideburn fallen off for hours, a marshal may come ask you to fix it. If you show up to the next game without the appropriate prosthetics, Plot or your Head of Rules will probably want to talk.
 
phedre said:
I've never seen a biata wear eyeliner. It's not mentioned at all in the one packet I've seen. Unless your packet is divided into "National Packet" and "Local Packet," I'd guess anything that's not in the rulebook is probably local.
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I got a national packet and a local packet. I double-confirmed that what I was reading was in the national packet (and actually I only skimmed the local packet since it's likely my character background means I've come from the mists from somewhere else far away if it doesn't fit local culture - still waiting for an answer from plot on that.)

The packet I'm referring to has a copyright stamp of 2009, a few pieces of art from Atsutoshi Nakazato, and a page on the Biata written alphabet at the end. If it's been updated and the eye-liner section removed I don't know why we'd have an older one (our chapter was only founded last year) I'll ask the other biata now that I've met them (and two of them I knew previously, but didn't know they were larping) if they follow the eyeliner req.


You can use antiperspirants (and they do make them for the body, rather than the underarms) under glued on prosthetics, but sweat rolls down the forehead.
Most costume shops sell small bottles of spirit gum that can go in a pouch
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The one I got is a very tiny bottle, don't have it in front of me but I want to say about 10ml or less. Is it typical to find it in larger quantities? Where would I go to find it? (I got mine at a local costume store - though now that I think about it Myth Games probably sells some since they DO sell ears and a few other prosthetics for larping.)


I've also never seen anyone faulted, and can't imagine faulting anyone, if a problem happens and it's corrected ASAP. No one should be kicking you out of a fight because a feather or two disappear, or a tusk snaps off.
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Oh I'm not too worried about that - I just don't want to look out of character and be all silly with one feathered eyebrow. If someone faulted me (which I presume is an OOG punishment for a code of conduct breach?) for a technical error like that which I had little control over I'd be pretty PO'd and would think that's a violation of the 'don't be a ****' rule (our wording for the 'poor sportsmanship' rule).

If it fell off I'd want to fix it ASAP - the very next time I get a chance to sneak away OOG to my cabin to fix it. (I half considered bringing the supplies to do it with me, but without a mirror it's pretty easy to mess up and I don't want to bring a mirror in my bag 'cause that's liable to get broken.)
 
You might be able to find bigger bottles online, or closer to Halloween. I've seen much bigger bottles than that in NPC camps, and even in some people's personal makeup stashes.

If you put some kind of backing on your feathers (a small strip of cloth or a trimmed piece of a cloth band-aid works really well) after a few applications of spirit gum, it will often be tacky enough to stick to dry skin until you can get more adhesive on it. I've also heard the "I got my eyebrow shaved off by one of those guys! Now I look half-human! Do you *know* how much effort it takes to regrow my feathers quickly?!" rant on the way back to town from a battle.
 
Honestly, if you aren't allergic to latex, I personally recommend using liquid latex instead for putting on the eyebrows. It won't melt down into your eyes, is easier to get out of your eyebrows (you just keep rubbing,) and if you paint the back of the feathers once where you're adhering them and let it dry, your feathers will last for a good year of solid play before you'll need to replace them. And you will need to replace them eventually. Using liquid latex, I was able to walk out in the seattle rain and even sleep in them without them coming off.

Just don't put them directly on your eyebrows. :p
 
I use liquid latex; it's much easier to clean up.

As for the "eyeliner" quote -- not sure why that's there. It's just advice someone wrote, though -- the make up requirements are in the Rule Book and they don't mention eyeliners.
 
Agreed. No matter what race I feel the first time you wear a costume there is always malfunctions. I am dealing with a prostetic issue for my coyote snout. It got sweated off so now I have it elastic strapped on. And the problem with that is it runs the make up around it off. But it will make due.

I wish I could offer advice but I only know of one pc biata and if I'm not mistaken I think her feathers sometimes come off. But the reason why I want to comment was because your costume is awesome. I dig it, it's very whimsical
 
I have played a biata when I was a part of nero international and I will say when I played a biata I had extremely long feathers and I know for mine I had to go overboard for the spirit gum and then I also typically had to apply it one every 2-4 hours to keep the feathers from falling off. I will tell you one thing I found helped is having extremely clean skin to attach to and to further put spirit gum not only on the feather but on the skin and to let both get tacky and then attach the feathers to the area of the skin that you applied the spirit gum to.
 
I recommend a smaller bunch of feathers, or at least some longer/thinner ones. Here's my biata, and while these aren't my favorite feathers, they're basically the same idea.

I make them with a small rectangle of felt, about 1 cm by about 5 cm, then hot glue down the first (which is actually the 'back') feather (red in my shot), wait for that to dry, then add the next, thinner (but much longer (the black one)) feather, then finally do the 'front' feather (my orange one). You only need a little bit of hot glue to stick them down, and if you're crafty and patient when you build them, they'll last you a couple of years (effectively) if you treat them right and store them safely. They stand up pretty well to rain, but I always lost one before I needed to replace one (though they were getting pretty ratty one time after a few years).

I personally prefer spirit gum, but the felt thing is important here. You first put a lot of spirit gum into the felt and let it soak in. You don't want to make it mushy, just let it slowly saturate. Once it's settled in, let it sit for a day. Then, put on some spirit gum and wear them. The spirit gum crystallizes, and makes the next application much more secure. I play a fighter, and only sweat my feathers off after serious battles (once ever other event or so), but never lose them to rain. You'll feel them drooping, so it's a good time to grab them before they fall and you lose them in the woods/mud/puddles.

You can get some really cool feathers (like the long ones, but also multicolored ones) at fly-fishing shops. You really want to keep the final product light weight and narrow, the wind won't pull on them as much that way and you'll be less likely to brush them off accidentally. Your feathers look ok, but keep in mind that the idea isn't to have big puffy eyebrows, but sweeping noble eyebrows. I saw another biata (I think!) in a set of pictures that someone posted that looked like they had a feather boa across their forehead, which isn't really the idea. I can't tell what color your feathers are in the picture you posted, but remember that the colors are important.

The bit about the eyeliner is totally a suggestion in the national packet, not an actual rule, much like the 'claw.' I never wore either until I had to medical forge to scholar for an event, then I decided to do it because I would be less active. I never really went back afterwards, I don't feel it adds that much.
 
Thanks for the sugestion re adding gum to BOTH my face AND the feathers. I knew I had to let it get tacky via the air before trying to apply it (because it says so in the directions AND I know that it's a resin and I know a little about how resins work because I find fossilized resins fascinating and I did a lot of nature hiking in High School and learned about some of the resins the trees in southern BC produce.

I wound up running out of time and money to do this project, so what you see above minus the hair dye is what I'm going with my first time out. I'll take out the zipper for next month, and hopefuly have a robe ready.
 
MathGwyson said:
I tried adding 2-4 feathers to my hair with hair clips, but could not get them to go on in such a way as that the clip was hidden but the feather was still showing and pointing in a direction that made sense and looked aestheticly pleasing. Any suggestions?
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I suggest buying magnetic necklace closures-- you can get them at craft stores that sell jewelry making supplies. I used these to attach fake flowers/leaves to my hair for a dryad character and they work really well. You can sew the feathers (possibly glue a small bit of felt to the back of the feather and sew through that?) to the magnet and then "clip" them into your hair. They hide very well and I never had a problem with them falling out.

Here's a link to the kind I've used so you have an idea of what to look for: http://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Clasps-7mm-Pkg-Gold/dp/B001689JRK/ref=pd_sim_bt_2

Your costume is looking good!

~Carmen
 
Thank you so much for the suggestion! I'll try that. I would be surprised if wal-mart didn't carry these. We also have a huge craft store chain called Michaels here in Calgary, one of which is very close to our chapter owner's store.

I also ditched the glasses (For now) as while I'm near-sighted and I don't forsee a safety problem, my vision is poor enough that I can't recognize faces more than a few meters away. I'm hoping to potentially get custom perscription lenses in them, but I have no idea how much that will cost.

Since I ditched the hair dying, I didn't bring my hair-white with me, and I realised I wanted to splash white on the feathers, but then couldn't (and we have no dark or stone elves in the chapter yet that I could borrow from). Since the package of feathers I got has white, black, and red - I went with two black feathers with one white one in the middle on the left side, and three black on the right. A little lop-sided, but that sort of fits my character anyways. They took photos of us as we went through Logistics, so hopefully those will get put up soon :).
 
Our fantastic photographer, Belinda, uploaded some photos of our event, and I'm in a few of them;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluecanary ... 44109@N20/
(I'm pretty recognizeable here, with my basket of alchemy.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluecanary ... 44109@N20/
(The High Ogre here is an NPC, she taught me how to use a staff. I think we just finished our RP training here and I've just picked up my bag.)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluecanary ... 44109@N20/
(It looks like Tal is right up in my face for some reason! But looking at our arms, it's clear that I'm further back and looking off to the right. I suspect this was when the gypsy NPC was kidnapped and I was worried about her, looking into the forest. This was the first time I was 'brave' enough to chase after her despite not having any combat skill. It worked out great, as while everyone else was fighting, I realised that I could sneak through the forest to get to her, as did the gypsy healer who also was non-combat. We both slinked in and untied Nadia while everyone else was fighting. Yay! I felt useful even as a non-combat character!)
 
MathGwyson said:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bluecanary/7397769354/in/pool-1944109@N20/
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Interesting symbol on that guy's shirt/tunic...
 
Yeah we've had a lot of OOG chats about the need to rename the Templar class since there's no religion in the game. IG it has no meaning, heck there's one on his shield too.
 
Inaryn said:
http://nero_kingdom.tripod.com/diera.html

Not the one I was looking for, but a good one nonetheless. I'll keep trying to find those more close-up pictures I know I have.
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My goodness, those are from quite some time ago. Going to have to peek around that site and add a few more "oldtime" pics to my collections.
 
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